It's officially the first full weekend of summer - but we'll put down the ice-cold beverage long enough to get you up to speed on some big happenings in MLB, NFL and the NBA too!

MLB

Looking for an under-the-radar type team to make a little run here in the next few days? Then try the Minnesota Twins (33-38) on for size. The American League Central squad - a major underachiever the first half of this here-and-now Major-League Baseball season - is in the midst of a three-game home series against the lowly Texas Rangers before they will be playing three games to start off next week against the Chicago White Sox. The Twins rank 12th in the AL in home runs (73) and 11th in the junior circuit in runs scored (302) - even with a sore-shouldered LF Eddie Rosario (.320, 16 HR, 48 RBI, 52 runs scored) one would have to think this dormant Minny attack should get heated up ... right?

In other MLB News/Notes ... Not that you were asking but right now here's our almost-mid season award winners:

NL Cy Young ... Jacob de Grom, New York MetsAL Cy Young ... Corey Kluber, Cleveland

NL Manager of the Year ... Brian Snitker, AtlantaAL Manager of the Year ... Scott Servais, Seattle

Finally, best individual story through this season's first 70-plus games - how about Milwaukee Brewers' reliever LHP Josh Hader who has struck out 77 batters in 38.2 innings to go along with his 1.16 ERA. We'd love to see the flame-throwing Hader go up against the likes of Betts, Los Angeles Angels OF Mike Trout and New York Yankees' OF Aaron Judge in next month's All-Star Game in Washington ... that would be a blast!

Jim Hurley and his Network of Handicappers and Bloggers are winning big with Major League Baseball action every day. So, make sure you cash in big right here online or 1-800-323-4453. Pile up the profits as we head towards another great NCAA Football / NFL season straight ahead!

NFL

Okay, so just call it an extra bonus break for the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles: Not only do the Birds get the extra time off following their NFL season-opening Thursday, Sept. 6th tilt against the Atlanta Falcons, but Philly now has nine days off before travelling to face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team without suspended QB Jameis Winston. In fact, check out the sked and the Eagles could well be 5-and-oh before you know it: Versus Atlanta, at Tampa Bay, home to Indianapolis, at Tennessee and home to Minnesota before a Week 6 Thursday night game at the New York Giants ...Never too early to start at some NFL spread stats and how about the fact that last year Arizona started off the season at 0-5 ATS (against the spread), Kansas City began the 2017 season with five consecutive covers and Buffalo zoomed out of the starting gate at 4-0 versus the vig. Just sayin'!

NBA

One potential piece of news following this past week's NBA Draft is that if the San Antonio Spurs do deal swingman Kawhi Leonard, then a make-sense landing spot might be Brooklyn - yes, the site of this just-completed NBA Draft. You see, the Brooklyn Nets just stocked up on international players - GM Sean Marks learned the ropes in San Antonio years ago - and so it's not out of the question that the Nets could package the likes of first-round draftee F Dzanan Musa along with second-rounder F Rodions Kurucs and a warm body or two in exchange for Leonard. Stay tuned ...Final post-draft comment: If you want us to give you a "second-round sleeper" then UT-Arlington F Kevin Hervey is your man. The Oklahoma City Thunder nabbed Hervey with the draft's 57th overall pick (we had the dude a late first-rounder and take note our Jim Sez Mock Draft banged out six on-the-head selections including properly predicting Miami's Lonnie Walker IV would go to the Spurs at pick #18) and OKC figures to be a better/deeper team, thanks to the addition of Hervey.